Universal joint.



W. S. ADAMS UNWERSAL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED H5. II. 1916.

Patented May 8, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I i s A W. S. ADAMS.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- IY IBIS- J 21,225,303. Patented May 8,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Th 7/5156, Jada, v 51; 61cm,

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

wuxrm s. mums, or rm mnmrmn, rmvivstmmmn,

BSIGNOB TO THE J. 'G. BRILL COMPANY, or rmmnnnrnu, PENNSYLVANIA, A oPORATION or PENNSYL- VANIA.

y UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patentedliiay 8, 1917.

Application filed February 17, 1916. Serial No. 78,815.

transmitting power, without undue friction or stress upon smallsurfaces, and its object is accomplished by my invention, one embodimentof which is hereinafter set forth. For a more particular description ofmy invention, reference is tobe had to the ac- ,companying drawingsforming a parthereof in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my inventionfilipliedto the front wheels of an automo 1 e' Fig; 2 shows thedevelopment of a washer forkeepin'g dirt fronrmy improved joint; Figs.3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on the lines 39 3, 4--4 and 5-5respectively of Fig. 6, arrows;

Fig.'6 isa sectional view taken at right angles to the section shown inFig. 5;

Fig. 7 is awseetional view showing a part of my improved joint;

Fig.- 8 1s aside elevation of one of the parts of my improved universaljoint; Fig. 8" is a plan view of the part shown in Fiea i Figtion-of'the-powe nsln-itti-ng'shaft; Fig. 9 is aplan-view of the same.

line 10-40 of 1*igu411, tionof theaarrows an view takon onsection's-showing- 12"an'dresp and side elevation, respectively, of arodand cylinder 'rnembers-of thestructuie shown in Figs. 10- und- 11; and

Fig. 14 showsame bers'; andFig. 15 is a sectional a cup in whichtheeylinder members rest, togther with .th carved jdottheshaft.ihrougheetfi as ws-ot-thed' wy H J heraetcl-sidesignate sii!li arrpl'rtsij 11' isn seetional ark-Fig. "10,: both d. truetfli'c;

looking in'the direction of the teat mien-9 am -p Fig. 10 is itsectionalviewltuken on; the

iookingin the directhe cylinder eeti'vely ,..are a plan of the cylindermem view showing My improved joint 1 may be appliedto any suitable use,as where power is to be transmitted through a universal joint as to thefront wheels of anautomobile,' which wheels are also connected with thesteerin gear. When put to such use, it is'essentia that the jointsshould never-bind, and should always work without undue friction, andbe. properly lubri :ated. My invention fulfil: all these requirements,as will non appear.

The joint 1 in the embodiment of my in vention herein described isattached to a hub- 2 of an automobile wheel-3 and its'hub also carriessuitable roller bearings 4 of the conventional form, which are connectedto laterally,- extending tr'unnions 5 which turn in suitable bearings 6in the main .ax-le 70f an automobile. This axle is hollow,.m as toreceive the shaft 8 which runs to the differ entiul gearing, 9, carriedat the middle of the some in the conventional way. In eddi tion to thetrunnions 5, the hearings 4 are provided with the transversely disposed.ears. l0 w-h'ch are connected by-a rod llywith the steering gear, in theconventional manner.

Except for thedetails hereinafter meneyi inder Lhsce Figa 8, and,this'cyiinder 14- tioned, the above numbered elements'may be 7 has arecess 15' flared at its'extcrior endand eil'cular'in cross section atits other end, as

shown, to receive the flat sided cylindrical end 16, see Fig. J, of therod or shnft'8;

- When the parts 12, H and 116 are assem ble'd,= as shown,'- the flatsided cylindrical-end 1613f the rod 8 enters the slot orrecess in 14-whieh is in the'evlindrieal. projection 12 of the hub 2 and this rod on?ters through the flared. opening 17, which ex- 10o tends late'rall fromthe cylindrical opehingf" 13 and at rig it angles thereto and in the .dl

reetion of the axis of the hub 2, and the parts are so united that byrevolving shaft 8' "owes v istransmitted from this rod or shaft the Hatsided surfaceslfl to the hub 2; To .ceep

the-socket 14 implfiee, suitable screw threads- 18 are placed at one endof the opening 18 nect the opening 20 with the opening 13,

. drical end 16 of the she as shown.

Other ports 24 are placed in the socket 14 which are adapted toregister, under normal conditions, with the orts 23, and correspondingports 25 are need in the cylin-- ii; 8, and additional ports 26 areplaced, in the ends of the sockets 14 soas to roiide for the lubricationof the ends of the socket through the ports 25. To keepalldirtand ritaway rom my improved joint, I provi e a suitable washer 27 whichis madeof cloth, or other suitable material, cut as indicated in ig. 2, andsecured with one 'end' about the rod 8 by'a ring 28 andthe other endagainst a ring 29 b an annulus 30 andthe screws 31 which said.annulus-in Pht'ce, The ring 29 holds theroller bearings4 in place on thehub 2, as shown.

' In view'of theforegoing, the construction and use of my improved jointwill be readily understood,

Assuming that the o ening 20 is filled with grease and the p ug 22 is in,place, grease isr-forced through the ports 23, 24,25 and 26 under thepressure exerted by the plug 22,-a'nd this 'rease reaches the surfacesto'be lubricated w on power is transmitted, and thegagis of the wheel 3does not coincide with th axis of the shaft 8, there is a slightrelative movement between these parts when tion in its bear ngs-{and thesame is true of the cylindrical end 16 of the shaft 8. These parts1231411141 16, coiiperating together withftheljraxesatright angles toeach other, constitute a universal joint with large hearingand'lubricated surfaces, which it is the 0b ect of myinvention tosecure.

n the modification shown in Figs. 10 to 15 Inclusive, the hub 2 is thesame as before except that the oil ducts may be omittedfor reasons whichwill appear below.

The drivingeh'afts is the same as before except thatitsiiextreme'endisslightly beveled at 32510183 to'alw'ays properly'fitthe nib 2; "In this side of the hole 13 in the embodiment of anyinvention the cylinder 14 is done away with andln place'thereofthere areused two cylindrical segments 33, each "mg a. head movably of which isshaped substantially as shown, and is a little less than-a third-0f ncylin ler of a proper size to fit the hole 13 and is divided on planesrunning parallel with the axis and coinciding with the plane surfaces ofthe flat head 16, of the rod 8, so that these flat surfaces of the rodbear against the corresponding flat surfaces of the segments 33, and thethree parts, when asscn'ibled together, as shown in Fig. 12, producewhat is substantially a cylindrical surface except for the recessadjacent to the beveled por tion 32 of the rod 8. This recess forms a.

grease receiving recess which may be so used if desired and grease maybe packed therein. It will be noticed that in this modification the rod8 turns in the hub 2 precisely as in the other modification and may bewithdrawn from its cylindrical segments 33 in the same way that the rod8 may be withdrawn from the cylinder 14. There is, however, thisdifference. If the cylinder 15 is to be withdrawn it is necessary toremove the roller bearings and all parts incidental thereto and then theplug 19. In the structure shown in Figs. 10 to 15 the rod 8 may firstremoved and then one of the segments 33 and then the other so that allthese three parts may be withdrawn from the hub 2 without in any waydisturbing w the roller bearings modification of the has no functionexcept to make theboring of 'the recess, for the arts 33 and 16, easieror the plug 19. In this than it would otherw1se be.

When the parts are assembled to the posi- .tion shownm Figs. 10 and 11the easiest embodiments of lily-invention, it-is obvious that it is notrestricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover-allstructures whichcome wit int-he scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaimisr 1. In a device of theclass described, a. casing, a. cylinder rotatively mounted insaidcasing, said casing having-anopening through which said in thecasing, means for closing the open' ing through which the cylinder ispassed,th cylinder having an opening and-asha'ft havin said cylinder,"said shaft head being removable from the opening in the cylinder withoutremoving said cylinder (from its "casing.

2. In a device of the class described, :1 casmg, a cylinder rotatlvelymounted therein,

cylinder is placed withmounted inflthe opening:

invention, the plug 19 the easing the cylin" having an opening throlighvvhich able the openin in the cylinder wither is passed,a cap or sai Vopening out removing said cy 'nder from its casing.

to close the same, said cylinder havmg'an Signed at the cit county ofPhiladel- 10 opening, a shaft haying a head fitting the phia, and Stateof ennsylvama, this 14th 5 oggning 1n the cylmder adapted to pivot dayof February, 1916.

I a at an axis at ri ht angles to the axis of the cylinder, said afthead being remov- V WALTER S. ADAMS.

